Vehicle



March 19, 1946; D, D, ORMSBY 2,396,803;

VEHICLE Filed May 10, 194s 3 Sheets-Sheet].

INVENTOR.

March 19,1946. up. ORMSBY J 2,396,803

March 19, 1946. D. D. ORMSBY 2,396,303

VEHICLE Filed May 10, 1943 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 19, 1946 STATES PATENT orr ce Application May 10, 1943, SeriaINo. 486,445

16 Claims.

This invention relates to. vehicles, and,.more. particularly is concerned with avehicle, of the booster engine type in which anauxiliary or supplemental engine is provided for: adding its power to that of the main engine when the main engine is under load.

The present invention is an improvement upon the invention disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 256,947, filed February 17, 1939.

One of the primary-featuresof the present .invention, which is of distinct importance, is an improvement in the control system which. operates to start the booster engine under certain conditions. In the present construction, this control-system departs from that shown in the application referred to above in providing a manuaL. ly controlled switch accessible to the operator for closing the control circuit to energize the booster starting circuit which may be alsosubject to-a condition responsive switch operating.,.f-rom .the intake manifold of the main engine. Meansis provided whereby the operator .may manually close the booster engine starting circuit,-. provid-. ing the main engine is under sufficient-loadto close the manifold switch, and that the. main engine is in operation. This prevents the operator from starting the auxiliary engine unless these conditions are present as it is not advisable. to start the booster engine if the main engine is not. operating. i

In connection with this latter feature, .a. hand control switch is provided, mounted on the .steer-. ing wheel within easy reach of the operator, whereby he can close the circuit from the battery. to the switch through the relay .controlledby the voltage of the main engine. From this relay the control circuit is energized leading to the ignition system of thebooster .engine andto the starting circuit thereof. Asthe'boosterengine starts and comes up to speed, suitable meansis provided for cutting out the starting circuit, ei.- ther by use of a Startix or. a similar switch construction which may be. controlled in response. to oil pressure in the booster engine or in. any other manner. 4

vIn an alternative form ofthe invention,. a spring controlled push .buttonlis embodied in the hand control switch, which must be held closed to energize the starting circuit of the booster .en-. glue, and when released will operate to open this circuit. Other objects and advantages. 'of the present invention Willappear. more fully. from thejole lowing detailed description. which, .taken.in..cone junction with the accompanyingdrawings, .will

(Cl. Gil-97) disclose to those skilled. in the art the particular construction. and operation of a preferred form of the present invention.

,Inthe drawings: Figure 1- is aplan view. partly diagrammatical,

of a: vehicle employing-the present invention;

Figure 2 isa-circuit diagram of one form of control circuit;

Eigu're 3. is a similar view of a modified type of control circuit;

-Figure.4 is an elevational view of the manual control switch;

Figure 5 is a side .viewof thecontrol switch shownin Figure 4; and

.Flgure. 6 is .a diagrammatic illustration of the switch mechanism.

Referring. now in detail to the drawings, in Figure ,1 there is shown a vehicle chassis includingtheside rails 5 and thecross member 6. Secured to the forward end of the side rails '5 in any conventional'manner is the front axle assembly I. and mounted between the rails in any conventional. manner is themain engine 8 having the clutch housing 9 secured thereto, carrying 25 the transmission l0.whichhas the gear shift lever l2 projectingtherefrom. At the rear end of the side. rails 5, mounted in any suitable manner as by. springs I3, is a drive axle assembly [4 carrying the drive wheels 5? The drive axle assembly M includesa-differential carrier I6, and extending from this carrier to the rear end of the transmission-is the usual propeller shaft [1.

The transmission is provided with a laterally off-set housing 18, carrying gears connected to the. countershaft of the transmission 10, and including a lay-shaft l9- extending into a clutch housing 20; 'secured to the flywheel housing 22 of the auxiliary engine 23. The engine 23 is supported in any suitable mannerfrom the side rails of :thegcross-member 6,-and is preferably disposed in a; position between the propeller shaft I? and one of the side rails with the engine reversed relative to main engine 8.

- Preferably the auxiliary engine 23 is of smaller horsepower than the main engine 8 and under conditions selected by the operator and dependent upon the load .of main engine 8 can be started and-brought up to speed, and add its power to the lay-shaft l9 and through the gears in housing..l8.:to the countershaft of the. transmission, whereby itstorque isadded to that of the main engine fordriving the propeller shaft l1. Such a construction. is...especially. desirable in vehicles carrying heavy loads, such as trucks, busses or 55 the likewhere, under normal operations in fiat is sufficient to maintain the desired load speed, and the booster engine power is utilized only when it is desired to have additional torque for carrying the load over hills or the like, or for acceleration when pulling away from a stop in order to maintain, as far as possible, the maximum road speed. r

For this reason, it is desirable in the interest of economy that the booster engine be entirely stopped when its power is not required, but be country, the power of the main engine 8 alone the ignition circuit to the booster engine and instantly available whenever additional power is required.

Considering now the control circuit shown in Figure 2, the battery is indicated at'fill and has its output terminal connected through conductor 62 to the starter 63 for the main engine and also through conductor 54 to one terminal of a magnetic switch 65 whichcontrols the starting of the booster engine starter motor 66. From the main engine starter 63, a conductor 61 extends through ignition switch 68 to a conductor 69 leading to the ignition circuit of the main engine. A second conductor 10 extends from the main engine ignition switch 68 through a manually controlled booster engine switch 13 which is shown in more detail in Figures 4, 5. and 6. The

control switch i3, as shown in Figure 4, includes a conductor M leading from the booster switch 72 to the switch 13, which conductor has battery current impressed thereon. On the switch, is a control button 15 which, when moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4, is adapted to close a circuit between the conductor 14 and a conductor I9 leading to the control circuit for the booster engine. However, this circuit cannot be closed unless the main engine is operatmg. This particular control is provided by a voltage regulator 11, responsive to the main engine voltage and which operates from its generator terminal to close a relay :8 only when the ma n engine is operating at a sufiicient voltage to close the circuit through relay [8 and conductor 88. v

The switch mechanism 73 also includes a button 76' normally urged to open circuit position by a spring, but which, when closed by the operator, closes a circuit from conductor 14 and button 16' energizes the starting circuit.

In the circuit shown in Figure 3, similar reference numerals have been applied. However, in

this formbf construction the switch 13, when closed manually by the operator, energizes the conductor 93 which through the voltage regulator 11 and control relay l8 energize the conductor 84. This, however, will not energize either the booster engine ignition circuit or the booster engine starter circuit unless the manifold switch 95 is closed. The closing of this manifold switch is a function of the degree of vacuum in the intake manifold of the engine 8, and when the vac uum is decreased by opening of the throttle with the engine under load the switch 95 closes. In.- creased vacuum such as when the engine is idling when the throttle closes operates to open the switch. If the manifold switch 95 is closed, in-

dicating that the main engine is operating under load, a circuit is established to conductor 98 and this circuit is thereafter maintained on the holddown relay 9'! which is energized when the conductor 94 is energized and therefore maintains switch 113 through conductor 16 to terminal 82 V of magnetic starter switch 65. This circuit is maintained closed only so long as the operator maintains button 16f depressed. The closing of this circuit allows current to flow through ma netic switch 65 which completes the circuit between the battery conductor 84 and the booster starter 68. At the same time, a circuit is closed through conductor 83 to a red light 84 mounted on the instrument panel indicating to the operator that the starting circuit to the booster engine has been -energized. Release of button 16' by the operatorppens this starting circuit and extinguishes light 84.

At the time the conductor 8i) was energized through relay I8 and button 15, an energizing circuit was set up through conductor 85 to the booster engine ignition coil 86 and from this coil to the distributor 81 through conductor 88. Also a circuit was energized from conductor 85 through conductor 89 to a gas check valve 90 which is to be operated to admit gasoline to the carburetor of the booster engine. This ignition circuit is maintained at all times that the switch is closed, and its operation is indicated by alight 90 on the instrument panel which indicates to the operator that booster engine circuit has been pleted. through the conductor 89 and the indicating light 00. Closing of the primary circuit in the Startix 98 closes a circuit between conductor through the Startix and through the conductor lllZto the starting motor 65 of the booster engine. As the booster engine begins to operate, the oil pressure in the crank case is adapted to close an oil switch [03 which has current impressed thereon by conductor HM from battery and through conductor [05 energizes the secondary coil in the Startix, opening the circuit to the starting motor 86. The booster engine once it starts thus develops oil pressure operative to out 01f the circuitto the starting motor, which is indicated to the operator by the light 180 being extinguished. At the same time the operator can ascertain that the booster engine ignition circuit is now in operation since light I06 is energized whenever the circuit through conductor 95 is ener'gized Thus the operator cannot start the booster engine unless the main engine is operating and is under load as determined by the manifold switch 95. However, once the booster engine has been started, push button 15 controls the switch 13 so that thebooster engine can be stopped at any time by the operator moving button 15 back to the full line position shown in Figure 4.

It is thereby apparent that I have provided a control circuit for a booster engine which can be manually controlledby the operator, providing the, main engine is operating, and in the case of Figure 3, providing the main engine is under load. Stopping of the booster engine in either case is controlled solely by the driver. I am aware that various changes may be made in certain details of the control circuit and fluid clutch arrangement herein shown, and I therefore do not intend to be limited except as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a control system for a vehicle having a main engine and a booster engine, an ignition circuit for said booster engine, a starting circuit for said booster engine, manually controlled means for energizing said ignition circuit, and said starting circuit, and means responsive to predetermined voltage developed by operation of said main engine for preventing energization of said ignition circuit unless said main engine is operating.

2. The control system of claim 1 including means responsive to intake manifold pressure at said main engine for preventing completion of said circuits unless said main engine is operating under predetermined load.

3. In a control system for a vehicle having a main engine and an auxiliary engine, an ignition and starting circuit for said booster engine, a manually controlled switch in said circuit, a control relay in said circuit, and means for maintaining said relay closed only when said main engine is operating, said manually controlled switch being operative to close said circuits for starting said auxiliary engine whereby said auxiliary engine can be started only when said main engine is operating.

4. The control system of claim 3 including a switch in said circuit beyond said relay and manually controlled switch responsive to load on said main engine for completing said circuit only when said main engine is operating under a predetermined load, and means operated by energization of said load responsive switch preventing it from opening said circuit once the circuit has been completed.

5. In a control system for a vehicle having a main engine and an auxiliary engine, an ignition circuit for said auxiliary engine, a starting circuit for said auxiliary engine, a control relay in said ignition circuit normally holding said circuit open unless said main engine is operating a manual control switch for energizing said ignition circuit through said relay, a switch element on said switch manually operable to close said starting circuit only when said ignition circuit is closed and so arranged and constructed that it must be held closed. against spring pressure to energize said starting circuit. and means for indicating the condition of each of said circuits.

6. In a control system for a vehicle having a main engine and a booster engine, an ignition circuit for said booster engine, a starting circuit for said booster engine, means responsive to predetermined voltage developed by operation of said main engine conditioning said circuits for operation, a manually operable switch having means responsive to conditioning of said circuits for operation for manually closing said ignition circuit, and supplemental manually operable means on said switch for closing said starting circuit.

7. The control system of claim 6 wherein said supplemental manually operable means comprises a spring pressed switch normally urged toward switch-open position.

8. The control system of claim 6 wherein said voltage responsive means includes a voltage regulator responsive'to voltage developed by said main engine and a control relay in said ignition circuit adapted to be closed by said regulator only when a predetermined voltage has been developed by said main engine.

9. In a control system for a vehicle having a main engine and a booster engine, an ignition and starting circuit for said booster engine including a manually controlled switch, and means in said circuit for preventing closing thereof unless said main engine is operating at a speed such as to develop a predetermined voltage.

10. The control system of claim 9 wherein said means comprises a voltage regulator connected to said main engine, and a control relay in said circuit operable to close only upon a predetermined voltage being developed in said regulator.

11. The control system of claim 9 including secondary means for preventing closing of said circuit unless the main engine is operating under more than a predetermined load.

12. The control system of claim 9 including a manifold vacuum responsive switch for preventing closing of said circuit unless the main engine is operating under more than a predetermined load, and means in said circuit for bypassing said vacuum switch after said booster engine starts.

13. A control system for a vehicle having a main engine and a booster engine, comprising a starting circuit for said booster engine including a magnetic starting switch, an ignition circuit for said booster engine including a control relay, a battery circuit including manually controlled switch means, means driven by said main engine for actuating said control relay to close the same only when said main engine is operating above a predetermined speed, means at said manual switch means for connecting said battery circuit to said control relay for energizing said booster ignition circuit, and supplemental means at said manual switch means for connecting said battery circuit to said starting circuit through said last-named connecting means.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein said supplemental means includes a spring-controlled switch normally biased toward open position.

15. In a control system for a vehicle having a main engine and a booster engine, a battery for the ignition and starting system of said main engine, a starting and ignition circuit for said booster engine including a conventional ignition switch for connecting said circuit to said battery, a control relay in said circuit closed only when said main engine is operating above a predetermined speed, a second switch in said circuit in series with said relay and closed only when the vacuum in the main engine manifold is less than a predetermined amount, and a manual switch in said circuit between said ignition switch and said relay for selectively energizing said circuit only when said relay and vacuum responsive switches are closed.

16. The controlsystem of claim 15 including means in parallel with said vacuum responsive switch for bypassing said switch once said circuit hasbeen closed and until opening of said circuit by said manual switch.

DONALD D. ORMSBY. 

